All About Pocket Knives

My son is 17, has Autism, and has absolutely no desire to own or carry a pocket knife. He and I share several interests, but not that one.

My nephew has three sons, and the oldest is around 12 or 13 and is getting interested in knives. When we gathered at my parent's house for Thanksgiving he showed me a small sheath knife that he carried, a Walmart special with a paracord wrapped handle.
Then Monday at our Christmas gathering he showed me his pocket knife, and asked if I might be able to fix it. It was a no-name flipper with a missing pivot screw. As my stuff is in my Dad's shop, we took a walk and I dug through some Parts knives and found a screw for it. Then I sharpened it, and taught him how to flip it open (he had been using two hands to open it).
He looked through a lot of the old knives that I had in the shop, and seemed pretty interested in them, especially some Western hunting knives that I need to rehandle.
Hopefully I can guide him toward traditional pocket knives, but either way it is just good to see a young man who is interested in them. Hopefully I can teach him to sharpen his own knife soon.

That’s how it starts in a young ones heart. Something about that experience will stick with him and when he is older he will be collecting knives like the ones you have in your workshop. Kids will see something and years later want to make it a part of them, probably as a way to connect with their past. Sounds like a great experience for him and you.

I am kinda there with my grandson, he is 11, almost 12 now. He is interested in knives and has been for a while now. Here recently I was going over with him what I was learning and it really seemed to turn him on. I think each kid reacts differently, but this boy has always liked to hang and talk with adults, so what he likes is to be able to hold a somewhat intelligent (just meaning he can generally understand the current conversation). So my explaining what I have learned brought him up to speed with me; now he don’t feel out of place (I think anyway). So, when I am discussing knives, or guns, or fly-fishing and asking questions, he is tuned in too. And he sees me asking questions and know understands, it’s ok not to know. We went though the same thing with Trap & Skeet shooting. That is just what makes him tick.

Great to hear. I have been getting each niece or nephew a Swiss army, or Kershaw Leek when they turn 10 for years. I'm the knife uncle. My kids got them decades ago. Just got a nice who is turning 8 this week a teal colored Leek. She's very mature for 8, and her older brothers and sisters got some recently and she came to me wanting one. She loves the Teal blue Leeks.. Totally ready for it too. It's one of the most underrated experiences. I have loved picking them one out, watching their reaction when opening, and showing them how to use it. And some of the girls are into it as much or more than the boys. Some of the nieces live on farms and keep and show sheep and cows. They actually cut bailing twine, open grain bags, whittle sticks. Have two nephews who just got their first black bear, gutted with a knife I gave them and are giving me a claw when they get them cleaned up. Then there's the added benefit of now being the coolest uncle they have instead of some old geezer who is uninteresting. Huge switch for some of them. Fun for me too. It's a gas, I encourage everyone to do it.